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Trump revokes clearance of former CIA head Brennan

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John Brennan, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, on Tuesday said President Donald Trump would never understand what it means to be a "good, decent and honest person." One day later, the president revoked his security clearance. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

By Danielle Haynes, UPI

President Donald Trump on Wednesday revoked the security clearance of John Brennan, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said, calling the former CIA director's credibility into question.

Sanders, giving a statement to reporters during the daily White House press briefing, said Brennan has leveraged his clearance to make "wild outbursts" and criticisms about Trump.

"First, at this point in my administration, any benefits that senior officials might glean from consultations with Mr. Brennan are now outweighed by the risks posed by his erratic conduct and behavior," Trump's statement, read by Sanders, said.

[post_ads]"Second, that conduct and behavior has tested and far exceeded the limits of any professional courtesy that may have been due to him. Mr. Brennan has a history that calls into question his objectivity and credibility."

On Tuesday, Brennan responded on Twitter to a tweet Trump posted calling former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman a "dog."

"It's astounding how often you fail to live up to minimum standards of decency, civility, & probity. Seems like you will never understand what it means to be president, nor what it takes to be a good, decent, & honest person. So disheartening, so dangerous for our Nation," Brennan wrote.

Sanders also announced the White House was reviewing the security clearances of Justice Department official Bruce Ohr and former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who sent negative text messages about Trump to each other before his election. Strzok was fired last week.

"Historically, former heads of intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been allowed to retain access to classified information after their government service so that they can consult with their successors regarding matters about which they may have special insights and as a professional courtesy," Trump's statement said. "Neither of these justifications supports Mr. Brennan's continued access to classified information."